The leaders of rival publishing firms NZME, Stuff and Are Media open up in part two of our special Media Insider summer series, in which we pose five questions for 2025 to media industry chief executives. Meanwhile, a top advertising industry boss has a message for companies seeking to implement
Media Insider: Five for 2025 - Media leaders on the year ahead: NZME’s Michael Boggs, Stuff’s Sinead Boucher, Are Media’s Stuart Dick, D3′s Alex Radford, Lassoo Media’s Bridgette Smith, Anthem’s Jane Sweeney
NZME's Michael Boggs, Stuff's Sinead Boucher, Are Media's Stuart Dick, D3's Alex Radford, Lassoo Media's Bridgette Smith and Anthem's Jane Sweeney.
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He also says many New Zealand businesses are “far behind” in collecting, organising and using customer data.
“It’s not glamorous, but it’s critical. Global platforms thrive on data; if you’re not feeding their algorithms, you’re overpaying for underperformance. Businesses need to fix this quickly to stay competitive.”
Meanwhile, the chief executives of our two biggest media publishing firms, NZME and Stuff, are aligned today in calling for stronger Government action to introduce new legislation to even the playing field against the likes of Google and Meta.
“A game-changer for us all would be a government ready to muscle up to the global tech giants and AI billionaires who publish, scrape, profit from and create with unique New Zealand journalism for free, while giving almost nothing back to the content creators,” says Stuff chief executive Sinead Boucher.
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NZME chief executive Michael Boggs says the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which is on hold, needs to be passed into law. “It’s by no means a silver bullet but the big global tech platforms like Google and Facebook should be paying for the content they’re currently taking free of charge from our sites – content that is produced by our journalists across the country.”
He is also focused on building trust with audiences.
“As an industry, we need to continue to earn the trust of New Zealanders and at NZME we’re really focused on that – it would be a game-changer to be the most trusted media organisation. We’re doing a heap on this including making opinion pieces even more clearly labelled, linking to alternate views on opinion pieces so people can easily access other viewpoints, including key facts at the top of opinion pieces so readers can form their own views.”
The full Q&As are below. The final two instalments of the four-part summer Media Insider columns will be published next week.
Michael Boggs, chief executive, NZME
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Optimistic!
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
The continued growth of our real estate platform, OneRoof, has been a huge positive for us. We’re closing the gap between OneRoof and the number one real estate platform in market and with the property market expected to pick up in 2025, I’m really confident OneRoof is going to be a game-changer for NZME.
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In terms of competitors, Sky TV growing its digital revenue in what has been a really tough media market was impressive. It’s always great to see others within the industry innovating, as we continue to do.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
I’m optimistic 2025 will be a great year. We’re seeing business confidence metrics improve and that’s starting to be reflected more in growing advertiser confidence. Long may that continue.
Of course, the competitiveness for eyes and ears will continue across our sector, and I think you’ll see more collaboration with content-sharing partnerships and other initiatives to maximise audience and commercial opportunities.
As an industry, we need to continue to earn the trust of New Zealanders and at NZME we’re really focused on that – it would be a game-changer to be the most trusted media organisation. We’re doing a heap on this including making opinion pieces even more clearly labelled, linking to alternate views on opinion pieces so people can easily access other viewpoints, including key facts at the top of opinion pieces so readers can form their own views, etc.
We’re also looking forward to seeing the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill being introduced and passed through Parliament – it’s been a long time coming. It’s by no means a silver bullet but the big global tech platforms like Google and Facebook should be paying for the content they’re currently taking free of charge from our sites – content that is produced by our journalists across the country. It’s about evening the playing field and supporting local media players – big and small.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 - and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
Sometimes it takes a little longer for things to turn around than expected. We saw improvements to business confidence, which was also reflected in consumer confidence improvements at stages throughout the year – we believed things were going to improve quickly. However, sometimes it takes a while to see any real impact – the flow-on can take a bit longer. [In 2024] we had to revise our earnings guidance as a result of that change not coming as soon as we’d hoped. Short-term positive or negative spikes are not a trend!
I think people need to avoid relying on performance marketing to drive revenue. Focusing on building a brand is vital and a hugely important part of marketing and I think we’ve seen a number of big companies learn that the hard way.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Looking forward to spending some quality time with family and friends involving sun, sand, swimming, a few cold beverages and plenty of food. Taking the opportunity to unwind, reflect on the year that has been, make the most of the downtime and come back refreshed and refocused for what’s shaping up to be a huge 2025 for NZME.
Sinead Boucher, owner and chief executive, Stuff
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Appreciative. Sun’s out. Water’s warm. My parents, family and all my friends have survived another year intact. We live in a great country and I feel really fortunate to do the work I do. What’s not to love? Well ok, the water is not actually warm in Wellington.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
In January we undertook the biggest digital project in Stuff’s history – a complete replatforming of the number one New Zealand website, stuff.co.nz – which has allowed us to innovate and grow the country’s largest news audience through new products like our America’s Cup live sport hub and winning the Three News contract.
Rivals? Well, all of us know who the real rivals are, and it isn’t other New Zealand media. So I guess I’d say Google’s AI Overviews – or maybe not …
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
A game-changer for us all would be a government ready to muscle up to the global tech giants and AI billionaires who publish, scrape, profit from and create with unique New Zealand journalism for free, while giving almost nothing back to the content creators.
There’s no doubt 2025 will be extremely challenging for some of the smaller publishers and publications, so a government like Australia’s, who stand up for local business, would create the level playing field New Zealanders deserve.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
I learned no lessons this year – you won’t be surprised to hear I’m a university dropout – but I didn’t lose my love for what we do and desire to always innovate and improve.
The biggest mistake we all need to avoid is too much navel-gazing about our own industry. Of course, there are plenty of meaty issues for us to solve. But we should all spend more time listening to and talking to our audiences and customers. Kiwis are more engaged with news now than ever so delivering great work for them is way better than staring gloomily at each other.
What are your plans for the summer break?
After eating, swimming and a large Irish family Christmas, I’m leaving the heat for the cold, accompanying my graduate daughter to London where she’ll start her journalism training. She’s almost as excited as I am.
Stuart Dick, general manager NZ, Are Media
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Optimistic (same as last year, always an optimist …)
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
For us this year, we are most proud of our overall business performance. After a busy few years of launches and new things, 2024 was focused on core performance of copy sales, advertising revenue and subscriptions. I am very proud of our team for exceeding targets for all of these, and ensuring we achieved a strong profit result for the business in very challenging market conditions for the media industry in NZ. We punched well above our weight and it is a credit to the quality of our small but mighty team here at Are Media.
The most impressive project from our friends in the industry, I think, was Stuff launching Three News, just from the sheer scale of work required and strategic addition to their offering. Bravo. Hopefully it is commercially successful.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
I think there will be a two-speed local media industry. Those that are more advanced in their revenue diversification strategies will benefit from increased consumer confidence and improved economic conditions. But unfortunately there are probably still some difficult times ahead for those organisations that are still in the earlier stages of their transformations or yet to confront the realities of the challenges faced.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
Change is constant, adapt or else! Some in the NZ media industry seem surprised by the pace and scale of change – change in business models and market conditions – and are trying to adapt, but need to confront the reality of what is required.
Despite the doom and gloom narrative on local media organisations, it is possible to be profitable and commercially viable if you are prepared to make difficult decisions on priorities, structure and commercial strategy.
We’ve seen various scenarios from other organisations this year including charity drives for subscribers or the impacts of over-reliance on government funding – these are short-term boosts, not sustainable business models.
Sustainable media business models require customers consistently paying for your product and/or clients advertising within it, and managing your costs within those levels. If those things are not happening then it is the business model that must change, not the market.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Nice family holiday in Pauanui, and hopefully some golf (also same as last year!).
Alex Radford, co-founder and partner, D3; chair, Independent Media Agencies NZ (IMANZ)
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Resilient. There’s a balance between exhaustion and excitement as we approach 2025. It’s been a tough year in many ways, but when I reflect on D3, it’s been one of remarkable growth. We’ve expanded into the US, UK and Australia alongside our clients, grown our team, introduced a new data offering and seen our client’s businesses grow – even in tough economic times.
For IMANZ, the independent media sector is ending the year in its strongest position yet. More businesses are recognising the value of working with agencies unburdened by network structures, creating a real sense of pride and optimism.
The resilience I feel comes from the challenges we’ve faced, which have clarified our strengths and growth areas. It’s this combination of reflection and anticipation that makes 2025 feel full of possibility.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
Under the radar, one of the most impressive things we achieved was deploying cutting-edge technology for a client. Over a year-long project, we’ve automated almost every part of their media strategy using a customer data platform powered by AI, teaching algorithms to optimise targeting, offers, bidding and creatives. This led to a 60% increase in leads at 30% of the cost – a transformative step for both the client and us. And, importantly, freeing up more spend for local media partnerships!
More visibly, our collaboration with NZME and Milford stood out. It showed what’s possible when clients, media owners and agencies work seamlessly together. Seeing the team tackle challenges and celebrate wins reminded me why I love this industry.
As for a rival campaign, BNZ’s partnership with the Breakers has been fantastic. Steven Adams and the youth basketball focus tap into grassroots sports in a way that’s authentic and culturally relevant. Hats off to whoever made that happen – it’s a great example of meaningful collaboration.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media, and what would be a game-changer for your company?
Globally, seismic shifts are coming. The US TikTok ban in January 2025 and the potential breakup of Google will send shockwaves through the media landscape, forcing a rethink of strategies.
Locally, it’s harder to predict, but the risk of fewer local media companies by this time next year is a real concern. Many are grappling with shrinking margins and rising competition from global players. Yet this challenge brings an opportunity: collaboration. If media owners, agencies and clients work together, we can create an ecosystem that not only survives but thrives.
From an IMANZ perspective, the proposed Omnicom acquisition of Interpublic merger should be raising major conflict concerns for their clients. With OMD, PHD, Hearts & Science, FCB, Initiative and UM under one umbrella, the need for independent agencies will become even clearer. Clients will turn to indies for agility, transparency and conflict-free solutions, redefining the landscape for our sector.
For D3 and the indie sector, the real game-changer would be a shift in mindset among local media owners. The competition isn’t with each other and instead of fighting over a shrinking pie, we need to bake a bigger one through alliances. Imagine shared data hubs, co-invested tech platforms and collaborative audience insights. These moves wouldn’t just benefit individual players – they could put New Zealand on the map for media innovation.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024, and what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising professionals should avoid in 2025?
The biggest lesson this year? Many New Zealand businesses are far behind in collecting, organising and using customer data. It’s not glamorous, but it’s critical. Global platforms thrive on data; if you’re not feeding their algorithms, you’re overpaying for underperformance. Businesses need to fix this quickly to stay competitive.
The biggest mistake? Assuming the rest of New Zealand is just like Auckland. Every year, I visit New Plymouth, and it’s a stark reminder of how different regional and rural communities are. Too often, ads either talk down to these audiences or ignore them altogether. Campaigns that truly connect with these communities through authentic storytelling are not just inclusive – they’re effective.
What are your plans for the summer break?
I couldn’t be more excited. Christmas will be on Waiheke with the family, which is extra special as my sister is visiting from India. After that, we’re ringing in the New Year in Russell, followed by a week in New Plymouth with the in-laws. Spending time with family and friends, enjoying good food and wine and stepping away from work helps me recharge. After an exhausting year, I’m looking forward to returning refreshed and ready for what promises to be a big 2025.
Bridgette Smith, founder, Lassoo Media
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Optimistic.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
Turners Auto Retail has gone from strength to strength, with our ongoing campaign winning effectiveness and marketing awards for sustained success. This longstanding partnership embodies the relationships we work hard to have with all our clients. We also relaunched iconic brand Autotrader. Work like this doesn’t happen very often, so it’s always fun when these opportunities come along … and we never take them for granted when they do.
I thought the work EightyOne did for Women’s Refuge and their 17,680 nights campaign was well thought through. It made us understand the size of the problem immediately and how we could help. Simple, yet effective.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
Lassoo believes in supporting local media owners and we have proved that the value delivered for campaigns where local media are a priority, rivals those that favour the global tech giants.
A game changer would be the surety of our local media environment and healthy competition amongst the players, rather than a fight for survival on an uneven playing field.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
Continue to be transparent. It has been our Lassoo kaupapa for years.
We have watched others get tripped up by global arrangements, but transparency helps us to be nimble. In tricky economic times, we all need to move decisively and fast.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Riding horses on Waiheke Island and enjoying picnics on the Hauraki Gulf islands.
Jane Sweeney, executive chair and co-founder, Anthem
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Hopeful.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
Our work for the NZ Aged Care Association getting the global and local recognition it deserved on the Awards Circuit.
Mango’s Correct the Internet as the rival.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
Smart strategy, relentless pursuit of results, relationships and networks continue to be key and global media is becoming more of a focus for NZ consumers, which is a huge challenge for our media. A strong digital footprint will be critical for NZ media to stay relevant and afloat! Re-emergence of some community mastheads with local owners would be great to enable our clients to have a hyper-local focus.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
One crucial lesson: Meet the market where it’s at – your offer can never be static. Re-invention and resilience pays off.
Biggest mistake to avoid in 2025: Dismissing the power of media to influence – media may look a lot more like a push notification to your phone, but it’s still media nonetheless.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Taking good care of family members post a significant bereavement; plenty of thinking about “where to from here” so our agency stays relevant and valuable to clients; lots of beach time and snuggles with my grandkids.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
